Combined staple remover and punch



Aug. 10, 1954 w FAAS 1 2,685,929

COMBINED STAPLE REMOVER AND PUNCH Filed Jan. 27, 1951 2%??? mas,

Patented Aug. 10, 1954 COMBINED STAPLE REMOVER AND PUNCH Walter Faas, West Orange, N. J assignor to The Bates Manufacturing Company, Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application JanuaryZ'I, 1951, Serial No. 208,095

The invention relates to improvements in a combined staple remover and punch of the portable hand operated plier' type. 1 A prime object of the present invention is to provide a device of this kind that can easily and conveniently be used for the removal of clinched and unclinched staples from papers, drawing boards or the like, and for punching holes in papers or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind with means for stripping the paper or the like from the punch.

Another object of the invention is to provide afdevice of this kind that will readily remove staples of various sizes, without tearing or'multilating thepapersto which the staples may have been applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind that has a minimum number of parts, is easy to assemble is inexpensive to manufacture, and is reliablein use;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from'the'descr'iption thereof to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Figure l-is a side elevational view of a combined staple remover and punch embodying my invention, the parts being shown in normal open position. 7

Figure? is a similar view showing the parts in closed position.

Figure-3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the handle members showing them in one position during the removal of a staple which is shown in top plan view.

Figure is a horizontal sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the improved device is of the plier type including a pair of elongated handle members I and 2 that cross each other at one end and are connected by a pivot pin 3 for pivotal movement toward and away from one another. The handle members I and 2 are channel construction or U-shaped in transverse section providing side flanges 4 and 5 and 5 and 1, respectively, making the device more rigid and stronger and easier to grasp. The handle member I is formed with a jaw member 8 adjacent the pivot, and handle member 2 is formed with a similar jaw member 9 opposite jaw 8.

The handle member I is slotted as indicated at In to permit the handle member 2 to extend 2 Claims. (01. 164-121) 2 therethrough and its flanges 4 and 5, adjacent the pin 3, are spaced apart a distance such that the flanges 6 and I of handle member 2 may enter between them. The face of the jaw member 8 of handle member I carries a tubular punch member II, circular in cross-section, projecting toward the face of the jaw member 9. The opposite-face of jaw member 9 of handle member 2 is formed with an opening forming a die I2 adapted to receive the punch member II.

A coil spring I3 surrounds the pivot pin 3 and has the elongated free arm portion I4 impinging against the inner surface of handle member 2 to constantly urge the handle members in directions to carry their jaw members, mounting the punch and die members, away from one another, thereby leaving a space between said punch and die for receiving the paper or the like to be punched. When the handle members I and 2 are pressed or squeezed together by the fingers of the operator, the punch member II will pass through the paper and into and through the die member I2 thereby forming a hole in the paper.

The spring I 3 has its other free arm portion I5 shaped in the form of a loop iii. The loop loosely encircles the punch member I I and is normally positioned adjacent the outer end thereof with its free end I1 projecting into the space between the punch and die members and constantly urged to such position by the spring arm I5, which intermediate its length engages an abutment I5a on the jaw 8. Upon the working stroke of the punch member, the projecting end I! of the loop first engages the paper being punched thereby clamping and holding the paper on the paw 9, and at the same time the loop is pressed inwardly along the punch member II as shown in Figure 2, the loop being held in its innermost position on the punch member by the jaw 9 during said working stroke. When pressure on-the handles is released, the spring arms I 4 and I5 force the punch and die members apart. At the same time, the loop I 6 is slid over the punch member by the spring arm I5 thereby stripping the paper from the punch II, the free end II pushing the paper beyond the end of the punch. The loop is thus retracted and returned to position for operation under a succeeding working stroke of the punch.

The handle member 2, at the end opposite its jaw 9, is formed with a flange I8 projecting inwardly toward the handle member I. The side edges IQ of the flange diverge on curved lines and form a blunt pointed free end 20 having a knife edge. Thus the over-all distance between extending: at right. angles to the handle memberv and projecting inwardly toward the handle member 2. 1y extending flange portions. 23. and 2.4, and terminates in a blade 25. The blade is substantially the width of the end. 20 of flange 18 and extends in substantially the. same; direction: as

When handle member I handle member I. moved, the outer edge of theblade travels in an are that has the pivot pin 3'as its center or axis and that is slightly smaller in diameter than-the are over which the flange [8 travels. This permits the. outer edge of the blade to travel along andover the inner surfaceof theflangel8. when thehandle members are moved. toward or away from one another.

When using the device as a staple remover, the sheetsof paper or thelike, from which it is. de-. sired to removethe staple or staples, are preferably placed on a horizontal support. The handle members I and 2' are grasped by the fingers of the operator and the device held in. a vertical position. The. handle member is first placed on the. surface of the paper and tiltedslightly so that the corner 22 and the outer edge of blade 25 rest. on the surface of the paper, with the outer edge of the. blade placed to: oneside and in engagement with the crown or cross bar 26, of the staple to be removed. The blade contacts said crown for substantially its entire length. The handle member 2 is then swung inwardly toward the handle member l whereby the flange [8. of handle member 2 is swept under theunder side of the crown 26 of the staple. The flange l8 will. have entered under the staple, crown a distance depending upon the width of the crown, and the-side edges :9 of the flange will be in engagement with the inner: sides of the staple legs immediately adjacent. the crown; Pressure isnow exerted uponthe. handlemember l to force said handle member toward the handle member 2 whereby the blade 25 will distort the staple and force its crown26 over the inner surface of flange lfl whilethe legs of. the staple are dragged. over the: side. edges IQ of. the flange. This. results in The plate member is formed with inwardie a slight widening of the crown of the staple and partial straightening of the legs. Continued rearward pressure on the handle member I will lift the staple entirely clear of the paper to which it was applied.

During this operation, the outer surface of the flange I8 rests on the top surface of the paper and supports. thepapen or holdsit so that it is notdrawn up by the legs of thestapleand so that the legs of the staple are readily and completely removed from the paper without tearing the paper- Sincethe flange 1-8 of the handle member 2 has a tapered :Ereeeuter end, the device is adapted forthe removal; of: staples of various sizes.

Changes indetails of construction might be made without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A handle punch comprising a pair of crossed=handle membersv having jaws at their corresponding ends, a pinpivotally connecting the handle members intermediate their ends, a punch member carriedby the jaw of one ofv said handle members, the. jaw carrying said punch member having. an abutment thereon between said. punch and. said. pin, a die Carried by the jaw ofthe other of said handle. members and. coacting with the punch member, a helical spring supported. by said pin having one. end portion engaging said abutment andhaving another end portion engagirle the other handlemembr. he first mentioned endportion of said-springterminating. in a vloopat the side. of said abutment opposite, said pinv withthe loop. encircling said punchmember and movable longitudinally there of to strip a work piece from said punch member.

2. Ahand punch as definedin claim l.v wherein said loop. has a free end projecting. laterally of the loop toward the opposite jaw and beyond the end of thepunchmember'.

References. Cited in the file of this patent UNITE}? STATESPATENTS Date Number Name 683687 Beck Sept. 10, 1867 195,876 Aiken Oct. 9; 1877 765,954 Bernard July 26', 1904 855,821 Summers June 4, 1307 874.183 Gordon et al Dec. 17, 1907 1,931,576 De Neui Oct. 24, 1933 

